Hi - I'm a volunteer at ACPS, the Jax city animal shelter, and we are trying to get the word out about how devastating the budget cuts will be to the animals. Currently, Jax is gaining National attention for our no-kill efforts and we are on par with cities like Austin and LA. These cuts will end the hard work for employees and volunteers and ultimately turn the city shelter into paid exterminators of dogs and cats. I was hoping you might be interested in posting about this or having it on your website? For more information, go to "Save our Shelter Jacksonville on Facebook." Thank you!

The Mayor is leaving out major things in his submitted budget (Described by Councilmembers as stunningly 'incompetent') in order to coerce the council into passing his privately negotiated Pension suggestion.

In the meantime, in addition to shutting down libraries and not paving the roads, we also got this letter from a volunteer at the animal shelter.

« Last Edit: July 24, 2013, 03:52:40 AM by TheCat »

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And now abide faith, hope and love; these three, but the greatest of these is love

This is about as cheap a shot as the mayor and his could come up with. Seriously, pass my budget or we kill innocent animals? Really? Why not come up with a budget that makes sense, drop your cronies off your payroll, sports guy etc and do the work to take us to the "next level" that you promised. Killing kittens and puppies is not the level we were looking for Alvin!

The puppies are saved. Gulliford will discharge the Mayor's Pension Reform Legislation from committee to the full Council. It will be voted on tonight. If it passes the puppie lives. If it fails to pass then who knows what will happen

Well, I am watching the council meeting and already I have a headache. Why is it that so many folks seem to have no idea how city funding works? Lord help us! Pension or no pension deal, this city better not even think about killing animals to balance this budget. Jacksonville steps into the good graces of the nation by working so hard to create a no kill approach to animal welfare and now the Mayors idea is to undermine all of those good efforts by killing animals that need not die. Sickening and it better not happen!

"We may yet become the first nation to die from a terminal case of frivolity. Other great nations in history have been threatened by barbarians at the gates. We may be the first to be threatened by self-indulgent silliness inside the gates." - Thomas Sowell

The puppies are saved. Gulliford will discharge the Mayor's Pension Reform Legislation from committee to the full Council. It will be voted on tonight. If it passes the puppie lives. If it fails to pass then who knows what will happen

here's what happens...City Council votes tentatively for a property tax increase

by David Chapman, Staff WriterTwo City departments, Animal Care and Protective Services and Municipal Code Compliance, received budget boosts Thursday that should help with staffing and service levels for the upcoming fiscal year.

The City Council Finance Committee restored almost $246,000 to Animal Care and $393,000 to Municipal Code, both part of the City Neighborhoods Department.

The cuts were part of Mayor Alvin Brown's proposed budget, which the committee is reviewing and amending during August sessions.

For Animal Care, the funds keep two filled animal code enforcement positions on staff ($68,066); continues to allow for the intake of all over-the-counter animals and owner surrenders while keeping a veterinarian technician and part-time hours ($63,233); funds an animal care service manager, which will be split into two control officer positions ($72,581); and keeps a clerical support position ($41,941).

Finance member Robin Lumb said he took a tour of the animal care facilities and that they seemed to be "lean." He said not restoring the funding would be inconsistent with the move toward a no-kill shelter philosophy, which could jeopardize private funding.

Supporters for the animal services have been vocal leading to the budget review and cheered after the vote.

Council President Bill Gulliford took to the microphone to tell the group that while they showed excitement and happiness for the decision, the Council faces difficult decisions when it reviews quality-of-life issues and there could be a tax consequence they should explain to the friends and neighbors.

For Municipal Code and Compliance, the committee restored about $393,000 in funding, of which about $200,000 went toward nuisance abatement enforcement and $50,000 for demolition and site clearance.

Some of the restorations were offset by reducing vacant positions to a $1 line item, down from more than $5,000 placeholders.

With the cuts as presented, several Council members showed concern about the work of the division being accomplished.

"We know that work is not getting done, period," said Finance member Reggie Brown. "We need to get the job done."

In other action from Thursday's all-day session, the budgets of the independent authorities were approved and the City Office of Economic Development and Downtown Investment Authority reviews were rescheduled to Wednesday.

One of my nieces is the head vet for Los Angeles County ASPCA shelter. She is coming to this conference and says that Jacksonville's Animal Care and Control and Friends of Jacksonville Animals has a national reputation for their "no-kill" programs. This is why Jacksonville was selected for this national conference.

One of my nieces is the head vet for Los Angeles County ASPCA shelter. She is coming to this conference and says that Jacksonville's Animal Care and Control and Friends of Jacksonville Animals has a national reputation for their "no-kill" programs. This is why Jacksonville was selected for this national conference.

That is great DW and I think we should be proud of that distinction. I am glad the council got this right.